Iran: Sixth largest in mushroom production worldwide

Having a production volume of 150,000 tons, Iran is the world's sixth biggest edible mushroom cultivator. This claim was made by the chairman of Mushroom Growers Union, Mohammad Hassan Afshar. He added that Iran currently exports a monthly average of 170 tons of edible mushrooms.

“Seven percent of the total exports go to Iraq and the rest to the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan at a price of about $1.8 per kilogram," he was quoted as saying by IRNA, adding that global prices stand at $2.5 per kilogram.

Currently, there are 900 edible mushroom producers in Iran, providing jobs for more than 10,000 people. Furthermore, Iran exported over 3,600 tons of edible mushrooms last year (March 2017-18).

According to financialtribune.com, the per capita mushroom consumption in Iran stands at 1-1.2 kilograms—lower than the global average of 2 kilograms and Europe’s average of 4 kilograms. Currently, more than 20 types of mushrooms are commercially cultivated worldwide, with China, the US, the Netherlands, France and Poland being the biggest producers.